Government & Politics

Politics exists because people disagree. They disagree about how they should live, about who should get what and about who should make decisions. This is a highly relevant course which deals with issues which affect everyone. It can help you to play a more active role as a citizen, to question some of the things that governments do, and to try and bring about change. You will learn about current Uk political issues and the way that Parliament works

What will I study?

Year 12
You will study how Parliament works, what the Constitution is, how laws are made and what each political party in the UK stands for. You will also consider how different groups and individuals exert pressure on the government and influence political decisions looking at pressure groups . You will study political ideologies including Conservatism, Socialism, Liberalism and Feminism. Last year we organised a very successful trip to London where we had a tour of the Houses of Parliament, question time with local MPs and a trip to the Treasury.

Year 13

American Politics – how the American system works, who has the power and how this compares with the British system.

How will I be assessed?

3 exams at the end of the 2 years

Where can it lead?

Government and Politics A level is accepted on a wide range of degree courses. It develops skills of enquiry and analysis as well as the ability to debate an issue and construct a balanced argument. These skills provide an excellent foundation for degree level study across a variety of subjects. Politics blends in well with most other subjects, particularly the other Social Science and Humanities subjects. The skills of debate and reasoning developed in Politics link well with many other A-level subjects such as History and Economics. Politics is an academic subject, widely valued by universities and employers.

If you are interested in a career in Law or Journalism this is an excellent subject to study.